Dear Colleagues, Each year as we prepare for the 4-day whirlwind of awesomeness that is called “ASEEES,” we review the conference program with a touch of woe: panels ranging from “Numbers and Meaning in Russian History” to “Emotions and Symbolic Order in Contemporary Russia” to “Siberian Rock” – so many fascinating, diverse, and important topics,… Read More
SRAS Blog
SRAS Photo Contest Gets Social Media and Prize Upgrades
SRAS has long held an annual photo contest from among its students. From the winners, we make a calendar, published and distributed for free to Russian departments in the US and Canada and to SRAS partners across the globe. Today, we are trying to make that contest a little better. For our 2018 calendar, we… Read More
Official Statement on St. Petersburg Explosion, Summer Programs
There was an explosion on the St. Petersburg metro on April 3rd, 2017. SRAS contacted and verified that all students and staff are safe. We are also reviewing and stressing safety procedures with all students on the ground. We are additionally reviewing and updating all safety procedures for all locations. Our thoughts are hearts are… Read More
Stetson University and SRAS Announce New Partnership
Beginning spring semester 2017, Stetson University will act as a new partner institution for The School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS). Stetson University is a private, liberal-arts based comprehensive university with four colleges and schools in Central Florida, United States, with the primary undergraduate campus located in DeLand. In the 2017 US News and… Read More
The State of Study Abroad in Russia, 2017
an update on safety concerns and educational opportunities – February, 2017 – As I sit to write my fourth annual State of Study Abroad in Russia, it feels again like the Russia in which I sit is a completely different place from the Russia in which I sat last year. Last year at this time,… Read More
The State of Study Abroad in Russia, 2016
an update on safety concerns and educational opportunities – February, 2016 – This marks the third year that I’ve done a “state of study abroad” on Russia. I find it amazing that every time I’ve sat down to do one of these, it seems like I have an entirely different landscape to describe. Russian… Read More
A Case Study Approach to Study Abroad
It was not so long ago that study abroad was primarily designed for language and culture immersion. Likewise, faculty-led programs were then mainly related to field study in certain disciplines. Now, globalization has changed this in a way that few might have expected. Globalization and Study Abroad Globalization led to two drivers that are shaping… Read More
Year in Review; the Year Ahead
Over 2014-2015, SRAS made two fundamental strategic decisions. The first was to expand our geographic footprint, beyond the former USSR and into Central Europe. The second was to focus more deliberately on the support of faculty-led programs. Really these decisions go hand-in-hand as we develop programming in Central Europe that really complements what we have… Read More
SRAS Site Visit to Kyrgyzstan
My husband and I often joke that there is life BC (Before Children) and AC (After Children). For me personally, AC has meant for a few of the very young years, limited travel, and now that they are a bit more self-sufficient, increasing amounts of travel, but yet still limited in duration. Obviously I love… Read More
SRAS Site Visit to Central Asia
I recently made a brief trip to check on our programs in Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek has long been one of our highest-rated locations among students. However, its popularity has increased recently because some funding programs offered by the US government now exclude Russia. Thus, many students on Project Go (through the US Army) or on Boren… Read More